


Everyone Loves Mike: Part A (The Baby)

by MiketheDoggo



Series: Everyone Loves Mike [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Parent-Child Relationship, Post-Sonic Forces, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:06:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiketheDoggo/pseuds/MiketheDoggo
Summary: Shadow is bothered by the recent attack from Eggman. It just seems so...wrong.Rouge sends him to the city to find the last survivor. What he finds is not what he expected.
Series: Everyone Loves Mike [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1914844
Kudos: 18





	1. Update

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12/11/20

I have no idea if anyone even follows this story.

Anyways, keep things short.

I have no self-confidence so I just kinda stopped? I get really paranoid about my works so uh-

I wanna write and publish stuff, but I have this crippling fear.

Not sure if I'll come back to this. I mean, if people enjoy it I will. As well, I came to a dead end. I need to properly plan this. 

Anyways uh, school and home stuff plays a big part. Being demotivated. Weeee.... 

Not sure if I'll take it back up. Maybe I'll upload different things than a blue freaking hedgehog. 

So yeah uh, if anyone out there wondering where I went uh, now you know. 


	2. Discovery

**Minor Content Warning: Contains mild blood and death**

Shadow looked outside the headquarters window. The day was calm and quiet. The wind rustled trees as particles flew by. 

He was bothered by the recent attack from Eggman. He attacked a city somewhat secluded from the general population. The whole city was torn apart by robots. Only a handful of people died and a large sum was hurt. The attack was short-lived as thousands of robots raided the city. Tearing apart buildings and houses. It seems he raided then retreated unexpectedly. 

_He was definitely looking for something,_ Shadow inferred. 

But what? What could Eggman want from a small, rural city? 

Rouge came in, interrupting his thoughts. He saw her through the reflection of the window. He simply ignored her, continuing to stare outside.

“Well, you seem chipper as always,” she joked. Shadow let out a small scoff.

“New mission?” he assumed. Rouge nodded her head. He turned around with crossed arms. 

“Omega received a signal from a survivor in the city,” Rouge began.

“Isn’t the city abandoned now?” Shadow questioned. 

“According to Omega, it isn’t. Maybe they couldn’t get out?” Rouge suggested. 

“So, should we send a search team?” Shadow glanced out the window as if something changed, but everything remained the same. 

“Shadow, I want you to go out and find them,” Rouge ordered. Shadow looked at her like she was crazy.

“Why me? Shouldn’t we send a search team?” he protested.

“Shadow, you’re fast. You are able to get there and back quickly. We don’t know if this person is injured or not,” Rouge reasoned. 

Shadow zoned out in thought. Why him? Why not send that blue hedgehog? He had better things to do. It’s not like they don’t have the people for it. They have a medical team, they have a search team.

“Everyone is busy. If the person is severely injured, just contact the base so they can get the proper help,” Rouge added. 

Shadow grumbled as he got his backpack ready. Rouge insisted that he take medical supplies and food in case the person is injured. Shadow adjusted his wristwatch, setting the coordinates accordingly. Rouge put a headset on and tested it.

“Am I loud and clear?” she tested. Shadow gave a “hmph” in response. He skated off to the city. 

  * **⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆**



Shadow skated mindlessly as he went to the city. His mind was on other things. He couldn’t get Eggman’s attack out of his head. He knew the doctor well. Eggman doesn’t send attacks without a clear reason. The war is over. Eggman hasn’t been seen, or have had any activity in a year. Why, out of the blue, this attack? He had to have been searching for something. Buildings were torn, cars overturned, stuff scattered in the street. A frantic search.

It was a long stretch of highway that led straight to the city. The only thing interesting was an occasional tree or bush. The grass was short and green. A perfect scene for a painting.

The sky had a tint of yellow and orange, the evening was slowly approaching. Shadow had to be quick about this. 

“Shadow!” Rouge’s voice crackled through his earpiece. He flinched, startled by her outburst. 

“Copy,” Shadow grumbled. He was in deep thought. 

“Finally! I’ve been calling your name!” she huffed. Shadow mumbled a sorry. 

“You’re approaching the city. Omega informed that there are still some defective bots. Stay alert.” 

Shadow laughed. “You think I can’t handle some hunks of metal?”

He could feel Rouge’s scowl. “Don’t get taken off guard, is what I’m trying to say.”

Shadow smirked.

Shadow searched through the city. He skimmed through buildings, overturned rubble. He searched every inch of the city. Nothing. Absolutely nothing (well, an occasional robot here and there). There were no signs, no hints, just an abandoned city. 

“Rouge,” Shadow called. He wouldn’t show it, but he was starting to fear the worst. “I didn’t find anyone.” 

“I checked Omega’s readings multiple times. Someone or _something_ is there. Even Tails confirmed it,” Rouge affirmed, but there was even worry in her voice. 

To be honest, Shadow would trust Tails more than Omega. That metal machine can be...interesting. But, he never doubted Omega. If this reading was also checked by the smartest kid out there, _something_ was there. 

Shadow heard pages flip through the earpiece. 

“According to this map of the city,” Rouge started with brief silence following, “there is a house on the far side of the city.” 

Shadow looked up at the sky. The evening was approaching fast. Quickly, he skated off into the outer edge of the city. 

  * **⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆**



“Rouge, is this it?” Shadow asked. 

There was a moment of silence. 

“If I’m correct...you’re on the bottom of a hill?” Rouge stated.

“Mhm.”

“Yeah, this is the house. Check it out and tell me what you see,” Rouge ordered. 

Shadow hiked up the hill. It was a wide, steep hill with a flat grassy top. A half-destroyed house was at the top with light smoke coming from the top.

Shadow stood in the doorway of the house. A strong smell of hot metal and oil was the first thing he noticed. He peeked his head around and almost vomited. 

“Rouge,” he swallowed, “I’m signing off.” 

“‘Wait Shadow! What-”

_Click._

Shadow stepped inside the house. He smelt iron. A heavy scent of iron. He looked over to his left. One of Eggman’s robots was laying on the floor. Oil leaked from it. Off to the side, was a wolf mobian. On the floor. A large, red puddle around him. Shadow knelt down and checked for a pulse. The body was warm but lacked a pulse. 

He swallowed hard. Next to him was another wolf mobian, but a woman. She was bruised and bloody. Red leaked from her head.

Shadow leaned against the wall. He felt his vision go blurry. The whole room seemed to sway. Why was this bothering him? He’s seen death before. He’s _killed_ people before. He’s seen bodies laid out. He’s seen blood. Why is this bothering him?

_They were protecting something._

Shadow got a flash of Maria. He forced his trauma down. 

_I have to focus._

He closed the eyelids of the mobians before walking around the house. 

Half the house was completely destroyed. There was debris sticking out and somewhat frame of the house. Shadow went to the other side of the house. It was practically untouched. There was dirt and debris that flew into a long hallway. Four rooms were on each side. The doors at the end of the hallway were open. The other two were shut. Shadow decided to leave them that way.

He cautiously made his way to the door on the left. It was a bedroom. A king-size bed with the sheets and pillows thrown on the floor. There was a dresser with a picture frame. Shadow picked it up, inspecting it. 

It was the two wolf mobians at a wedding. The female had a long, flowy white dress with a headband made from beads. The male mobian wore a tux with a crown of feathers and leaves. 

_Looks like a cultural thing._

They both looked happy. The husband was carrying the wife bridal style while she had the bouquet in her hand. Shadow sighed. It seems like their happiness was short-lived. 

Shadow went to the room across from it. He froze in his tracks. 

A nursery. 

The room was a baby blue with painted clouds on the wall. There was a brown wooden crib with a mobile made from colorful beads and feathers. There was a dresser next to it with engravings on the sides. Patterns. There was a wooden rocking chair with a teddy bear on it. Everything seemed so neat and clean. It had to have been new. 

Shadow leaned over the crib. Nothing. His stomach sank. There were white bed sheets with little dinosaurs on it. It was neatly made. Ready to be used. Shadow checked the dresser drawers. Baby clothes were neatly folded in the drawers. There was a small hamper next to it with onesies and socks. Shadow looked around the room. Looks like it will never see the light of day. 

Shadow walked out of the house. Not wanting to go back. It was obvious that the wolves were protecting a child, most likely theirs. A young one. Why attack a child? Shadow felt grieved. Was he too late? The blood, smells, and smoke. It was all fresh. The bodies were still warm to the touch. The robot still did occasional pops and sizzles.

Shadow’s ears suddenly perked up. He was picking up a noise. A high pitched noise. He closed his eyes, concentrating. He blindly followed the sound. It was becoming clear.

 _Is that...a cry?_ _  
_The crying sound seemed to be coming from the half-destroyed part of the house. Shadow rushed over. He searched through the debris, turning over pieces of wall and wood.

Shadow couldn’t believe his eyes. The crying was clear as it died down to a whimper. 

There, under the rubble, a small wolf baby laid. They couldn’t have been more than a month old. They were wearing a white onesie and swaddle loosely in a navy blanket. Their arms moved around, hands in little fist. The baby kicked at the blanket. 

Shadow froze. This was it. The last survivor. The last survivor whose parents died protecting them.

Shadow gently picked up the child. Supporting their head with one hand, and their bottom with the other. The child looked much like the dad. He had the same crimson eyes and tufts of fur on the side of the face. The child had the mother’s eye shape. 

Shadow couldn’t believe it. How long has the child been there? How long have they been alone? 

Something caught his attention. There was something around the baby’s neck. Shadow carefully removed it. A green gem shard. It looked like the edges were sanded. There was a leather strap attached that was braided and had two beads on either side. Some type of necklace.

_Must be a family heirloom._

Shadow stood up carefully and cradled the child in his chest. The child gripped his fluffy fur. He stood there in disbelief. He looked at the child. A poor, helpless baby who never got the chance to bond with their parents.

Shadow connected his watch again. There was static and a high pitched ringing before it crackled. 

“Shadow?” Rouge stammered. 

“I found the survivor,” Shadow checked. 

“Shadow, don’t you ever do that again! You had me worried!” Rouge scolded. Shadow rolled his eyes. 

“I’m coming back to the base. This is going to require a discussion,” Shadow stated. 

“Wait, what do you mean?” Rouge asked quickly.

“You’ll see when I get there.”


	3. Discussion

Many thoughts raced through Shadow’s mind as he skated back to the base. He kept the child snuggled close to his chest. 

_So this was the last survivor,_ he thought as a matter of factly. _How did Omega receive a signal from a baby?_

He couldn’t stop thinking about the child’s parents as well. Their attire in the wedding photo. The cultural influence in the child’s room. Why didn’t they flee? Why did they choose to fight the robot off? 

_Why_ did the robot go after them? _Why_ did they die protecting the child? Eggman’s robots aren’t programmed to kill someone. The husband had a hole in his stomach, he was impaled. The wife had cuts and bruises all over her. Did the robot malfunction? Was the robot after something? 

Of course it was after something. If Eggman was looking for something, it’s protocol would be to search for it. So what was it that he was searching for? What could Eggman want from a baby? 

Shadow stopped when the baby started crying. He propped the child on his shoulder. He awkwardly patted their back, looking for somewhere to stop. 

He knew nothing about taking care of children. He’s seen people do it, and he’s seen Amy care for injured children during the war. But Shadow has never _worked_ with children.

It wasn’t gonna be another two hours or so till Shadow got back to the base. He looked around frantically for a store. A small convenience store was located up ahead.

  * **⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆**



It must have been strange for him to walk in. A black hedgehog covered in dust walking in with a baby buying formula. Most people carry this stuff around with them, but given Shadow’s circumstances, how could have he knew that he was going to find a child, let alone a baby? 

Shadow set a small bag of formula and a bottle on the counter. He had no idea if this was even the correct stuff. He’s only seen people do it in the streets. He went on a couple of spy missions before, and things can get boring if the target doesn’t appear for hours.

The cashier gave him a weird look as they slowly rang up the items. He tapped his foot impatiently. The baby continued to fuss, but it wasn’t a loud cry. Just soft squeaks. Once the cashier told him the total, he slapped some money on the counter, mumbled a “thank you”, and skitted out of the store. 

He went to a secluded area in a nearby park. Daylight was almost gone and a cool breeze was setting in. He looked at the bag, squinting at the directions. 

“Well, I don’t have a measuring cup,” he mumbled. He estimated the amount into the bottle. He was lucky that Rouge had water bottles in the backpack. He shook the water and formula in the bottle and gave it to the baby. 

Shadow leaned against a tree. He must have looked like a parent or something. He let out a heavy sigh. He peered down at the child, a small smirk appearing. They were kinda cute. The little hands in little fist. Their ears twitching now and then. He didn’t want to accept it, but the child was growing on him. 

After the child finished the bottle, he put them on his shoulder and patted their back. He started walking back to the base. Everything he was doing felt instinctual. He has seen people pat the backs of babies. He asked Rouge why, and she said it’s because babies can’t burp on their own. He heard a couple of small burps escape the child. 

Shadow skated to the base but at a much slower speed. He was afraid of disturbing the child’s slumber.

Early night approached when he finally arrived. The doors opened to reveal everyone gathered around a table. They all looked at him, waiting for an answer.

“Did you get the survivor?” Rouge asked immediately. Shadow went over to the table and gently set the baby down. Everyone stood there baffled.

“This was the last survivor?” Sonic gasped. 

Shadow nodded. 

“But it’s only a baby!” Amy cried.

“How did Omega pick up a signal from a baby?” Knuckles pondered.

Shadow remained silent as everyone conversed among themselves. His eyes were fixed on the child. The child fussed slightly on the table. Seeing their little limbs kick at the blanket. Shadow reached out and put his hand on the child, rubbing their belly gently. The child gripped his finger. His breath hitched. Tiny little hands clinging to _his_ finger. 

He felt something. Something stirring inside of him. 

_What’s this feeling?_

He felt somewhat of a bond with the child. He’s only spent a few hours with them, and he already felt attached.

_Damn it…_

He heard the whole room go silent. He looked up, to find everyone staring at him. Rouge had a small smirk on her face, while everyone else looked like they saw an unspeakable act. He quickly pulled his hand away as if he touched something hot. He cleared his throat and retreated to the back of the crowd. 

“So,” Knuckles called, getting everyone’s attention, “what are we gonna do?”

“What do you mean?” someone asked. 

“Well, with the kid. I’m assuming their parents are dead,” Knuckles stated. He glanced at Shadow for reassurance, who simply nodded. 

“I’m going to take them to the infirmary,” Amy announced while picking up the child. She walked off as she cooed at them. Shadow followed her with his eyes till she turned a corner. 

“Well, one of us can take care of them?” Silver suggested. Some murmured in agreement. 

“Yes, because we would be great at that,” Sonic answered snarkily. Silver frowned at his tone.

“That’s a possibility, but we’re all so busy. We are still cleaning up after the war,” Tails noted. Some nodded and murmured in agreement. 

“I’d feel mighty bad just to give them up for adoption,” Sonic mumbled.

“Why don’t you take care of them if you feel so bad!” Knuckles jabbed. 

“Pfft, yeah right,” Sonic scoffed. 

Everyone argued back and forth. Volunteering others, pointing fingers, arguing. Shadow listened to all the bantering. 

_I could do it...right?_

Maybe Shadow could further his destiny. He was created to protect humanity, to be a savior. He was also created to be a doomsday device...but he’s choosing _not_ to follow that. He’s choosing to be his own person while following Maria’s promise. 

Shadow never got the chance to spend earth with Maria. He was going to find her a cure and then they would go to earth to enjoy all of its beauty. He, or Maria, never had a normal childhood. A normal life. 

_And that baby won’t if I don’t do something._

“I’ll do it,” Shadow blurted gruffly. He cringed at himself for saying this. 

“Excuse me?” Sonic coughed. 

“I’ll do it,” Shadow repeated, more smoothly. With that, he simply walked out into the infirmary.

  * **⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆**



He stared at the child. They were sleeping in a plastic box. They didn’t have an ICU because, well, they didn’t need one. The youngest children they ever cared for were toddlers. Amy did her best to replicate one. There was a small clipboard attached to the box. Shadow picked it up, studying the writing. 

There was a piece of paper with a bunch of information. Nothing was put for the name, but it was a male wolf that was about a month old. Someone managed to calculate his date of birth. 

_Huh, it’s a day before mine._

The rest of the information wasn’t too important. Stating vials, blood type, etc. Shadow looked into the box. The child sleeping with his hand in his mouth. Shadow was...almost fascinated by the small child. So small and helpless.

“Rumor has it you volunteered to care for the little guy,” Amy chimed in. Shadow flinched but didn’t take his eyes off the child. He remained silent. He didn’t know what to say either honestly. He had no idea what he was doing or what he was getting himself into. But he couldn’t stand them arguing over the kid like he was an inconvenience. 

“He’s pretty healthy,” she said casually,” being that he was found in debris.” 

“I don’t know how long he’s been there. At least within the past few hours,” Shadow stated. 

There was a long silence. Just the two of them staring at the child. Shadow had a million thoughts racing through his head. 

_What did I agree to?_

He could always back down. No one was forcing him to do so. He could simply say that he wasn’t fit for the task. His answer was just the spur of the moment. Parenting isn’t easy, least that’s what he heard. 

No. He’s doing this for Maria. Maria would have wanted him too. He is going to give that child what he and Maria didn’t have. He’s choosing to do this. He is choosing to be a father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you all enjoyed that! Here is some information about the AU:  
> \- It mainly focuses on the relationship between my oc and the Sonic characters.  
> \- This started off as a silly idea, but then I decided why not.  
> \- The AU is called "Everyone Loves Mike".  
> \- The main thing in the AU is the parent to child relationship with Shadow and well, Mike.
> 
> That's all!  
> Social Medias  
> Instagram: @frantic.drawer  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/frantic-drawer  
> Sonic Amino: https://aminoapps.com/c/sonic/page/user/sanic/xpKw_RqlTof13dPgPBG0PE8kZWoaKYYL7j


	4. Unexpected Findings

Shadow went back to the base early in the morning. A few people were gathered doing various tasks. Some people were volunteered clean-up crew and were prepping for the others to come in. There was no set curfew, but everyone usually got to the base at 8 a.m. Shadow was there a few hours early. He couldn’t sleep last night. He spent most of the night in deep thought about the child. Amy informed him that the child needed to stay for about a week to make sure no other health issues come up. 

Shadow grabbed a cup full of coffee beans and went outside. 

Being it was summer, the morning was surprisingly cool. The air was crisp. Dewdrops were gathered on blades of grass. He ate his coffee beans with careful thought. 

What _exactly_ did he sign up for? The reality didn’t seem to hit him yet. 

_I don’t know anything about children, let alone babies. I’ve interacted only with a few kids_. 

Shadow rubbed his temple. He felt the dew sticking to his fur. He stared off into the distance. He had a lot of things on his mind now. He has a lot of _responsibility_ now. He is responsible for taking care of a _child._ A living being that is _completely_ dependent on him. To feed, discipline, cloth, provide shelter and love. 

Shadow studied the coffee beans in his cup. He hardly knows anything about the child. The tribal influence is something that intrigued him the most. And the necklace. What's the importance of it? Was it some kind of family heirloom? 

Everyone always deemed him as cold and brooding. Is he capable of providing the emotional needs for a child? His thoughts scattered throughout his brain, trying to process everything. 

“Well, someone is in deep thought,” a voice greeted. Shadow flinched, sending his coffee beans onto the wet grass. He slowly turned around to find the familiar blue hedgehog with a wide smirk. He sighed, turning his gaze back to the jungle. 

“You’re early for once,” Shadow acknowledge coolly. 

Sonic stifled a chuckle. “Eh, early morning runs are refreshing.” 

The two hedgehogs stood for a while staring at...whatever. Shadow wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, but it seems like that’s not an option. The jungle was quiet this early in the morning. Soft buzzes of bugs and occasional songs of birds was the only thing to fill the silence.

“What made you do it?” Sonic blurted. Ah, so that's why he’s here. 

“That is none of your business,” Shadow returned. 

“Is it because of Maria?” Sonic continued. Shadow tightened his grip on the coffee cup. He forced to keep his gaze away from the insinuating hedgehog. 

“Shads, it’s okay to be vulnerable every once in a while,” Sonic reassured.

“I said it’s none of your business,” Shadow gritted through his teeth. Sonic let out a long whistle. 

“Seems like someone woke up a little cranky,” he ribbed. Shadow crossed his arms with a “Hmph!”. The imposter snorted a laugh. 

“I’m pulling ya tail, lightening up a bit! It’s a new and exciting chapter for you!” Sonic encouraged. Shadow stayed silent. 

_New and exciting chapter?_

“I’ll be honest,” Sonic slapped his back. Shadow glowered at him. More of his coffee beans went into the grass. 

“You are the last person I expected to volunteer for something like that.” 

Shadow picked up his arm and shoved it aside. Sonic gave a cunning grin. 

“Thanks for the reassurance,” Shadow scoffed. He wouldn’t mind Sonic if he kept his mouth shut for once. 

“It was an unexpected move,” Sonic heeded, “but it was a good one.” 

Shadow raised a brow. 

“What do you mean?” He bid cautiously. His answer worried him. 

“Oh well, they always say parenting changes ya. Either for good or bad, that all depends on the person. But I think this is a good change for you. Maybe you won’t be so dull and brooding.” 

Shadow frowned. 

_Way to rub it in, faker._

“What I’m trying to say is,” Sonic foretold with a sassy tone,” I think you’ll be great at it.”

A small grin escaped Shadow. It was unusual for Sonic to comment on his abilities. Not that he necessarily believed he was incapable, but their friendly rivalry involved taunts and jeers, not compliments. 

Shadow appreciated his encouragement, but he still had doubts. Will he be great at it? He has to raise this child with good morals, something that Shadow has had...difficulty with in the past. Sure, anyone can feed and clothe a kid, but to discipline them and provide emotional support? That is what seemed to be challenging.

“Well, is there a secret meeting I don’t know about?” a seductive voice called. Shadow rolled his eyes.

“Hey Sonic, hey Shadow. What are you two doing here?” Rouge inquired. She flew next to Shadow, who glanced at her as acknowledgment. 

“Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the morning summer I guess,” Sonic sighed happily. Shadow folded his arms and continued to gaze at the jungle. 

“Sonic, you mind giving us a minute?” Rouge requested. It was more of an order. 

“Sure, I was just about to zip off actually. See ya later!” With that, the speedster ran into the jungle in a blue flash. 

“You’re here early as well,” Shadow commented.

“Well, I have some things to sort out,” Rouge noted. 

Silence filled the air. The sun was almost out as its golden rays peeked through the trees. It was quite beautiful. 

“I know why you did it,” Rouge interrupted. Shadow huffed and rolled his eyes. For once he was enjoying the beauty of something. He doesn’t need everyone to be up in his business. 

“It’s because of _her,_ right?” 

Shadow kept his gaze fixed on the trees. He _did not_ want to bring this up. For so long, he has been battling with those horrid memories. He still has nightmares about her, he still mourns for her. It’s been how many years? He’s trying to move on. It’s like he hasn't progressed at all. 

“Shadow, I think this will help you,” Rouge stated. He looked at her funny. Her expression was genuine. 

“I think it will,” she paused, searching for words. “Not distract you, but help you keep your mind on other things.” 

He let out a sigh and continued to stare into the trees. 

_Maybe she is right. This might help me to overcome unresolved pain._

“Hey, Shadow?” Rouge called softly. There was caution in her voice, but concern. 

“Hm?” He turned toward her. 

“Why exactly did you volunteered?” 

An unamused look can upon his face. Rouge frowned at his expression. 

“I didn’t expect my choice to be so controversial,” he replied coldly. 

“It’s not a bad choice, it’s just not you,” Rouge observed. 

Shadow smoothed out his quills before giving her an answer. “I do have a heart you know.” 

Rouge let out a small laugh. “I know you’re a big softie.” 

Shadow grumbled at her statement. He knows it’s true.

_Might as well tell her_

“Maria and I never had a normal life,” he started slowly. He was swallowing his pride for this one. 

“She never got to enjoy Earth and all its beauty. We both lacked what children need while growing up. And the child won’t either if someone didn't do something. So I want to give him what Maria and I never had.” 

Shadow saw her dumbfounded expression. She stood there processing what he said. He could feel a tint of blush forming on his muzzle. 

_That was embarrassing_

“I knew you were a big softie,” she concluded with a smirk. Shadow crossed his arms with an unhappy expression. He could feel the warmth of blush on his muzzle. He hated to admit, but it was true. There have been quite a few times where he played tea with Cream. Of course, only Rouge and Omega know that. 

“But,” she concluded while patting his back, “I think that’s sweet. You’ll be a great dad.” 

_Dad...why does it seem so foreign?_

“Thanks,” he mumbled. 

“Oh, I don’t mean to dig, but what exactly did you see at that house?” 

Shadow froze. An unexpected question. The horrible images came to his mind. A small shudder went down his spine. 

“One of Eggman’s robots must have gone rogue. The father stabbed the robot but was impaled in the process. The mother must have been fighting it off because she was covered in bruises and cuts,” Shadow explained. Rouge tapped her finger against her chin. He took a slow breath to keep himself calm. 

“But Eggman would never program something to hurt someone. They might get hurt in the process, but from what I observed his robots are not designed to hurt/kill anyone,” Rouge deduced.

“There was something wrong about his attack. He was looking for something. And it was something that the wolf family had,” Shadow further inferred. 

“But what would Eggman want from them? And why would the robot go to extreme lengths to achieve what it was programmed to find?” Rouge pointed out. 

_So many questions, yet no answers._

“Chaos emerald perhaps?” Shadow suggested. Rouge stood in thought before shaking her head. 

“No, he would have gotten it himself.” 

Shadow was in deep reflection. Everything seemed so wrong. None of the pieces seemed to fit. The family had something. Something that Eggman wanted. 

“We need to go back,” Shadow affirmed. 

“I agree. Maybe there are clues hidden within the house,” Rouge said. “I’ll assemble a team to retrieve and bury the bodies.” 

A sudden wave of grief came over him. The child would never meet his parents or even remember them. The only thing he can do is visit two stones. Shadow will be the only parent the child will ever know. 

“Shadow?” Rouge called. He realized that she was at the door waiting for him. He cleared his throat before walking back.

  * **⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆**



Trucks and cars were already there when they arrived, scattered at the foot of the hill. People went in and out of the house with various items in their hands.

“I told them to bury the bodies in the back of the house,” Rouge huffed while climbing up the hill. Shadow simply nodded.

The aftermath team had cleaned up most of the area. The bodies were gone and most likely being buried. Iron and chemicals tainted the air. The smells made his nose burn. 

“I’ll check the bedrooms. You can search around the living room and kitchen,” Shadow ordered. Rouge generally makes some witty remark about him being bossy, but simply nodded her head and began looking around. 

Shadow made his way down to the hallway, avoiding the aftermath team. He looked at the first two doors at the beginning of the hallway. He contemplated opening them before he slowly turned the knob on the left.

He had no idea what he was expecting. It was a simple washroom. Cleaners were stacked on a metal rack next to an outdated washer and dryer. He stepped inside, searching for anything useful. There were some baby clothes hung up with a string and some pants. Not anything special. 

The room across was a bathroom. The shower curtains were made from woven wood. A small bathrobe hung on the towel rack. It looked like a duck. For some reason, it made him smirk. 

Shadow cautiously stepped into the parents’ room. He decided to take the surroundings in again. 

The sheets on the bed were thrown off, as if they were in a hurry. A box was next to the bed. How did that go unnoticed? Shadow walked over and bent down. A long cherry wooden box. The lock was torn off with brute force. The wood was splintered where the lock would be. Blue velvet lined the interior. It intended to hold a long spear of some sort. 

_Strange. Why would they have a spear?_

Shadow proceeded to the room across, the baby’s room. He suspected something to be different, but everything was the same. However, he did notice a photo on the dresser. It was the parents holding the child. They both had a bright smile on their faces. The baby was swaddled with squinty eyes. He had the same necklace on. 

_There must be something about that necklace._

He checked inside the dresser. Nothing. He went over to the closet. Clothes were hung in a neat and orderly fashion. He took an outfit out. It was made from some type of leather and decorated with beads and feathers. There were two little shoes to match the outfit. Being honest, Shadow thought it was kind of cute. 

Putting the outfit back, something fell from the closet. A heavy object landed on his foot. He jumped back, mumbling a swear before looking down at the ground. 

A book. Shadow picked it up, examining it. A baby book to be precise. He opened the first page. On the inside, written in fancy lettering was _This book belongs to Micheal Jacox_ [ _Zaesk_ ](https://www.familyeducation.com/baby-names/name-meaning/zaeske) _e_.

_Damn, that name is a handful._

Shadow flipped through the pages. The first few were when the child was firstborn. It showed pictures of the mother and father holding the baby. One picture was a selfie the father took with the baby. They looked happy.

The next few pages were the most interesting. It appeared to be some type of ceremony. There were pictures of the baby in the outfit Shadow saw earlier. The father was seen with the necklace and put it around the baby. An older looking wolf took the baby and held him close. Everyone was decked out in some type of tribal clothing. Similar to that of the Echidna tribe. Most of the mobians were wolves, but there were a few other species as well. After a couple of pictures of what looked like a blessing ritual, everyone was gathered for a group photo. The parents and the child were in the front with the elder wolf while everyone else stood behind them. 

That was the last picture. The rest of the book was empty. It was only a small chunk that was filled. The baby must be from some type of native background. 

Shadow tucked the book in his arm when something fell out. He picked it up, examining it. A leather pouch, about the length of the gem on the necklace. The front had an engraving of an emerald. Shadow peered closer. 

_A chaos emerald?_

Why is there an engraving of a chaos emerald? He flipped the back of the pouch. Writing was scribbled on the back in rough handwriting. 

_Those who wield the necklace attain a power unbeknownst to others._

Shadow stood there, contemplating. A necklace containing power? An interesting statement for a family heirloom. Perhaps it was similar to a good luck charm? 

What was intriguing is the chaos emerald engraving. Why would a chaos emerald be engraved in a pouch? As far as he knows, the Echidna tribe is the only tribe that has any knowledge about the chaos emeralds. He is going to check with Knuckles about this.

“Find anything interesting?” Rouge asked while walking in. She took a moment to study the room. Shadow discreetly put the pouch in his pocket. Knowing Rouge, anything with gems has her attention. 

“I found a photo album of the couple,” she noted, holding it up. 

They both exchanged the books. Rouge studied the baby book with great interest. Shadow flipped through the album. It was a bunch of pictures of the parents when they were younger. In high school, doing various couple things. Some pictures were of some sort of gathering. All the gatherings had some type of tribal influence. From the clothes and decorations, to the way the dancing was snapshotted. 

“This is very interesting,” Rouge observed as she continued to look through the book. 

“Seems like we got something different than we were looking for,” Shadow chuckled lightly. 

“Could this have anything to do with what happened?” Rouge regarded.

“Possible,” Shadow replied. 

“The baby has the same necklace shown here,” Rouge pointed to the necklace. 

“It’s most likely a family heirloom.”

_Why would the Doctor go after a family heirloom? What was written on the pouch true?_

Shadow shook his head. It is a stupid thought. Although very plausible, it is unlikely. 

But something stirred Shadow. He didn’t want to believe it, but he felt like the necklace had something to do with it. It plays a crucial part in their culture. In the high school photos, the father was wearing the necklace. Now Micheal has it. In the ceremonies, it's handled like an artifact. 

“Well,” Rouge handed the baby book to Shadow,” we should get going. It’s getting late.” 

Shadow simply nodded.

He pondered everything on their way back. The photos, the ceremonies, it was all intriguing. Shadow has little knowledge of things concerning tribal traditions. He needs to find out more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this chapter is better than the last two. The last two I wrote a long time ago. Maybe I will go back and rewrite them someday.  
> Anyways, sorry for the long wait. I had a fender bender with school so things were pretty chaotic at first. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! More chapters will most likely take longer. I have to sort some storyline things out. Also, my goal is for the chapters to be longer. Till next time, see ya!  
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/frantic-drawer  
> Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frantic.drawer/

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this is my first time uploading my writing to the internet. Hooray! This is something I've been working on for a while and been contemplating whether to upload it or not. I really hope you guys enjoy it.  
> You can find me on Instagram (frantic.drawer) and Tumblr (https://frantic-drawer.tumblr.com/) 
> 
> A couple of things:  
> So this story will generally be in the pg-teen rating.  
> This is an AU that is broken up into three parts, all of them containing chapters or short works of events (don't worry I'll label them).  
> I originally wanted to draw this, but my art sucks so here we are xD. I might upload little scenarios or comics to my media pages.  
> (I actually have more written but I didn't want to make the chapter too long)


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